By Jill Klimpel┃Posted: February 05, 2019
“Service is the expression of love. Serve in whatever possible manner you can. Ask yourself, “How can I be useful to people around me, and to the whole world?” Then your heart starts blossoming and a completely new level begins. Otherwise, we’re always thinking, “What about me, what about me?” It’s nothing! Ask, “How can I be useful, how can I give to the world?” – Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
On January 30th and 31st, temperatures in the Midwest dropped due to what is known as the Polar Vortex. Wind-chill dropped down to minus 70 in many places – colder than Antarctica, Siberia, or the top of Mount Everest. And while these temperatures are dangerous for most of us, for our homeless population, they are deadly. In Columbus, Ohio, we have approximately 1,800 homeless.
Putting things in perspective
At 11 AM on January 30th, Dhwani Kanumury, one of our local volunteers, put out a message about collecting items for the homeless to prep for the cold. She stated, “I have a beautiful house with so many comforts, yet I found myself complaining about the cold and the air of the heater at home, along with my own discomfort and uneasiness. When I thought about those people without a home, something shifted. I wanted to do something.”
A community takes action
By 1 PM, the entire local Art of Living community had come together to create 4 drop-off centers in different areas of our city. By 8 PM, in time for the overnight freeze, over 7 bags of clothing had been collected in Westerville alone, combined with dozens more in the other 3 locations. It took 5 volunteers to gather all the items in their cars to drop off at the local shelter.
It was impressive and astonishing to see the speed and efficiency with which our local volunteers worked to make a difference, almost on impulse, without any clear plan. It was a good reminder that service is not some special skill; it’s as simple as having an intention and acting, and what results is beautiful.
What each one of us needs is love
Swetha Irkulla, another volunteer who coordinated the drop-off, states, “when we were donating and observing the atmosphere, I felt so grateful – tears of gratitude just rolled out for me. I looked at the homeless people and realized that what each one of us needs is love. I felt love, and I noticed how selfless service uplifts our state of mind! Rather than grumbling on what we don't have, we miss seeing what we do have right now.”
It is interesting how when we serve, we think we are making a difference in others’ lives, but somehow, the reverse ends up being true – it (serving) makes a difference in ours.
If you would like to donate to Art of Living’s trauma relief fund, click here.
Jill Klimpel is Academic Counselor at the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science, Ohio State University.
